Storage of elongated, flexible lines such as fishing lures with leaders, electrical extension cords, automobile jumper cables, tow ropes, and so forth, have created problems prompting a variety of proposed solutions which have met with mixed success.
Spools of various types have been used to store lines in certain applications, but unique storage problems arise when one or both ends of the line contains a bulky object such as a fish hook, leader swivel, jumper cable clamp, etc. In some spool-type containers, these bulky ends are merely left to dangle outside the container, such as is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,062,475, Miller (Flexible Container for Leaders and the Like). In other devices, the bulky end is hooked in an aperture on the outer portion of the device, such as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,200,249, Synstelien, et al. (Storage Device), and U.S. Pat. No. D. 273,410, Tomosy (Combined Fish Hook and Line Dispenser and Storage Container). Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 2,743,546, Crist (Leader-Keepers) shows a rectangular-shaped spongelike device where the leader hook is embedded in the sponge material.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,991,507, Bart (Collapsible Organizer Receptacle for Fishing Leader) shows a generally cylindrical, accordion-like device which includes apertures in the accordion folds into which a fish hook may be lodged, allowing the line to be wrapped around the accordion fold crease. Each crease may hold a separate leader/hook, and the device may then be collapsed and placed in shell which retains the accordion in the compressed state.
The above devices all are somewhat complicated from a manufacturing standpoint and/or in actual use. Also, devices which have the fish hook on the outside, such as Synstelein and Miller, are vulnerable to tangling problems and may not adequately shield the hook. Furthermore, none of these devices provide for protected storage of bulky lures (as opposed to single, generally flat fish hooks).